This is how stupid conservatives are

Have you been paying attention to the annual circus knowns as CPAC?

You really should. Where else would you hear Donald Trump touting his presidential candidacy based on the twin pillars of "If I'm president the world will respect the United States (and the fleabitten weasel on my head) again" and "Ron Paul can't be elected"? (A friend of mine spent $10,000 on plugs (and admits the vanity of it),, has to spread minoxidil cream on his head twice a day, and he looks better than Trump; wouldn't you think Trump could afford better than that?)

The highlight of CPAC is always the straw poll, where we learn who the movement conservatives support for president. Unfortunately, it doesn't have much predictive value. I say unfortunately because they inevitably pick some ridiculous wack job as their favored candidate.

This year it's Ron Paul's turn, by a wide margin.

Here are a few of the favored positions enunciated by Ron Paul this year:

First, as reported by David Corn: "Government should never be able to do anything you can't do."

Paul may not be that familiar with the Constitution he has sworn to uphold, but here's a sampling of a few of the things that the Government is authorized by the Constitution to do that you and I aren't allowed to do:

To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;

And that's just the Congress!

The Constitution also allows the government to seize private property for public use, providing just compensation is paid.

Apparently, Paul either wants to take all these powers away from the federal government, or he thinks that you and I should have the power to issue letters of marque, establish post offices and post roads, and establishing trademarks, patents and copyrights.

And apparently the deep thinkers at CPAC agree with him.

Another bright idea from Paul: let young people opt out of government.

I'm not kidding. Here's his offer:

His proposed deal works like this: you pay the government 10% of your income (presumably to protect your borders and such) and you promise you'll never take advantage of a government service for the rest of your life.

I'll let you just muse on that, and when you're ready, guess what else the group who just endorsed the perennial Libertarian candidate for president did.

Give up? They kicked a real libertarian out for supporting legalizing marijuana.

I guess the only problem is, these guys won't be picking next year's Republican candidate. Wouldn't you love that?